India signed 12 Memorandam of Understanding (MoUs)

♦ India signed 12 Memorandam of Understanding (MoUs) for High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal on  28 September 2024.

♦ These projects, supported by a grant from the Government of India, span across sectors such as education, health, agriculture, drinking water, and culture.

♦ The total estimated cost for these initiatives is NRs. 474 million (Rs.29.6 crores).

♦ The 12 projects include the construction of school buildings in Okhaldhunga, Dailekh, Saptari, Morang, Chitwan, and Sunsari. Additionally, they involve the construction of the Arun Multipurpose Foundation Building in Bhojpur, a water supply project in Solukhumbu, a building for the Agriculture Promotion Centre in Bajura, a health post-birthing centre in Dhading, and an operation theatre building for the Rapti Eye Hospital in Dang. 

♦ Since 2003, India has undertaken over 563 High Impact Development Projects in Nepal, with 490 already completed.

The Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities

♦ India was elected to the fifteen-member steering committee of the GlobE Network following a multi-stage voting process during a plenary session in Beijing. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) announced this on 26 September 2024. The Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (GlobE Network) is an initiative launched under the G20 framework to address international corruption and financial crime. 

♦ India’s election to the steering committee will allow it to actively contribute to global efforts in combating corruption and facilitating asset recovery.

♦ The GlobE Network provides a platform for international cooperation, enhancing the ability of member countries to address cross-border corruption and financial crime. 

♦ India has been a supporter of this initiative since 2020, with the network officially launched on June 3, 2021, during a UN General Assembly Special Session against Corruption (UNGASS).

♦ Now, the GlobE Network includes 121 member countries and 219 member authorities. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) serves as the Central Authority for GlobE Network in India, while the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) represent India as member authorities.

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

♦ India signed an international agreement to protect marine biodiversity on the high seas at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar signed the pact formally known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement on 25 September 2024. 

♦ The agreement under the Law of the Seas Treaty seeks to ensure that marine life is conserved and used in a sustainable manner on the high seas, which is beyond nations' territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone that could extend up to 200 nautical miles or 370 km from the shores.

♦ The area the agreement covers is about two-thirds of all the oceans.

♦ Under the agreement, countries cannot claim sovereign rights over marine resources on the high seas and it ensures equitable sharing of benefits from those resources.

♦ The Union Cabinet approved India's participation in the agreement in July 2024.

Annual Asia Power Index

♦ India ranks third in the annual Asia Power Index, released by an Australian think tank. The U.S. is at the top with a score of 81.7, followed by China with a score of 72.7, India (39.1), Japan (38.9), Australia (31.9) and Russia (31.1).

♦ The Index ranks 27 countries across the Asia-Pacific, examining their ability to shape and respond to the external environment.

♦ The index has cited economic growth, future potential, and diplomatic influence as key factors for India's rise.

♦ The Asia Power Index was launched by the Lowy Institute in 2018. It is an annual measure of power dynamics in the Asia-Pacific region. 

Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake

♦ Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake appointed Harini Amarasuriya as countrie’s Prime Minister on 24 September 2024. She is the third woman prime minister of Sri Lanka, following the world’s first woman prime minister, Sirimavo Bandaranaike and her daughter Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. 

♦ Amarasuriya became a parliamentarian in 2020 under Dissanayake’s NPP coalition and will also hold the portfolios of foreign affairs, education and media.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the 6th Quad Leaders’ Summit in Wilmington, Delaware on 21 September 2024. This was hosted by the President of the United States of America, Joseph R. Biden. Jr. Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida also participated.

♦ The Quad, originally called the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, is a strategic alliance that includes Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.

World Health Organization

♦ The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Jordan as the first country in the world to eliminate leprosy. WHO said that Jordan has not reported any autochthonous cases of leprosy for over two decades.

♦ The declaration was made after commissioning an independent team to assess this situation.  Dr. Jamela Al-Raiby, WHO Representative to Jordan, emphasized the significance of sustained public health efforts and global collaboration in achieving this milestone.

♦ Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, is a chronic infectious condition caused by Mycobacterium leprae, affecting skin, nerves, and mucosal surfaces.

♦ The disease continues to occur in more than 120 countries. More than two lakh new cases are reported every year.
 

Iran launched its Chamran-1 research satellite

♦ Iran launched its Chamran-1 research satellite into orbit. This is its second successful satellite launch in 2024. Chamran-1 was launched into space by the Qaem-100 satellite carrier, was put into a 550-kilometre (340-mile) orbit and its first signals had been received. The satellite was designed and built by Iranian Electronics Industries (SAIran). 

♦ In January 2024, the Sorayya satellite was launched into a 750 km orbit, the highest by the country so far. 
 

BRICS Literature Forum 2024

♦ The BRICS Literature Forum 2024 began in Kazan, Russia. It aims to bring together prominent writers, poets, philosophers, artists and scholars from the BRICS nations. The Mayor of Kazan, Ilsur Metshin, inaugurated the forum under the theme, “World Literature in the New Reality: Dialogue of Traditions, National Values, and Cultures.”

♦ Representing India at the forum were Madhav Kaushik, President of the Sahitya Akademi, and Dr. K. Sreenivasarao, Secretary of the Sahitya Akademi. 

♦ The forum served as a platform for intellectual exchange, reinforcing the power of literature in bridging cultures and promoting social harmony across borders.
 

YUDH ABHYAS-2024

♦ The 20th edition of India-USA Joint Military Exercise YUDH ABHYAS-2024 commenced at Foreign Training Node in Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan on 9 September 2024. The exercise is scheduled to be conducted from 9th to 22nd September 2024. 

♦ Exercise YUDH ABHYAS has been held annually since 2004, alternating between India and the USA.

♦ This edition marks a significant increase in the scope and complexity of the joint exercise in terms of troop strength and equipment. 

♦ Aim of the Joint Exercise is to enhance joint military capability of both sides to undertake counter terrorism operations in a sub conventional scenario under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.

India and Singapore have exchanged fourMoUs

♦ India and Singapore have exchanged four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Singapore on 5 September 2024. The MoUs cover cooperation in the fields of health and medicine, education and skill development, digital technologies, and the India-Singapore Semiconductor Ecosystem Partnership. 

♦ The agreements were signed at Singapore’s Parliament House by India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan in the presence of Prime Ministers Modi and Lawrence Wong.

♦ The two countries also agreed to elevate their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which would give a major boost to India’s Act East Policy. This was decided after delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Singaporean counterpart, Lawrence Wong.

University of Leeds in the UK

♦ According to researchers at the University of Leeds in the UK, India leads the world in generating plastic waste, producing 10.2 million tonnes a year. the world creates 57 million tonnes of plastic pollution every year. The study also said more than two-thirds of it comes from the Global South.

♦ The researchers examined waste produced on the local level at more than 50,000 cities and towns across the world for a study in the journal Nature.

♦ The top 8 plastic polluter countries are: India, Nigeria, Indonesia, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Russia and Brazil. Those eight nations are responsible for more than half of the globe’s plastic pollution, according to the study’s data.

♦ The United States ranks 90th in plastic pollution with more than 52,500 tons (47,600 metric tons) and the United Kingdom ranks 135th with nearly 5,100 tons (4,600 metric tons). 

♦ Lagos, Nigeria, emitted the most plastic pollution of any city. The other biggest plastic polluting cities are New Delhi; Luanda, Angola; Karachi, Pakistan and Al Qahirah, Egypt.

The Indian Navy and the South African Navy

♦ The Indian Navy and the South African Navy have signed an Implementing Agreement (IA) to ensures the safety of the South African Navy’s submarine crew in times of distress or accident. This agreement was signed by Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Navy and Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, Chief of the South African Navy on 4 September 2024. 

♦ Under this agreement, the Indian Navy will provide assistance by deploying its Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) when required, further strengthening the collaborative ties between the two navies.